Perez sure of podium challenge

Sergio Perez is sure that Force India will be able to challenge for the podium places during the Belgian Grand Prix.

Perez qualified in fifth position at Spa Francorchamps but will be elevated to fourth on the grid following a penalty for Romain Grosjean.

Perez is optimistic that Force India can claim a podium for the first time since Bahrain last season.

"It’s been a really good day and I am very satisfied with my lap in Q3," he said.

"We were able to improve the car balance from yesterday and this gave me a whole lot of confidence - probably the most I have had this season.

"The car was much more predictable and this allowed me to push more in every corner. I showed very good pace in each of the three qualifying sessions and I am really looking forward to the race tomorrow.

"I see no reason why we cannot fight for the podium. The performance today also gives me a lot of optimism for the remainder of the season."

Nico Hulkenberg rued an error and a loss of power for his Q2 exit.

"I’m not that happy today because we had the potential to be well inside the top ten," he said.

"On my final lap in Q2 I made a small mistake going into turn one – I just locked the tyres and missed the apex. On top of that we had a small issue with the turbo, which cost us some speed and time down the straights."